2014 FIAT DUCATO BASE CAMPER Owner handbook (in English)

SIDE BAGS
112) 113) 114) 115) 116) 117) 118) 119) 120) 121)
122) 123) 124)
The vehicle is fitted with front side bags
for driver and passenger (for versions/
markets where provided) for protecting
the chest and window bags (for
versions/markets where provided) for
protecting front and rear passengers'
heads.
Side bags (for versions/markets where
provided) protect occupants from
side impacts of medium-high severity,
by placing the bag between the
occupant and the internal parts of the
side structure of the vehicle. Non-
activation of side bags in other types of
collisions (front collisions, rear shunts,
roll-overs, etc...) is not a system
malfunction.
An electronic control unit causes the
bags to inflate in the event of a side
impact. The bags inflate
instantaneously placing themselves
between the occupants' bodies and the
structures which could cause injury.
They deflate immediately afterwards.Side bags (for versions/markets where
provided) are not a replacement of
but complementary to the belts, which
you are recommended to always wear,
as specified by law in Europe and
most non-European countries.
FRONT SIDE BAGS FOR
CHEST PROTECTION
(for versions/markets, where provided)
Housed in the seats' backrests fig. 168,
they consist of an instantly inflating
bag designed to protect the occupants'
chest in the event of a side impact of
medium-high severity.SIDE AIRBAGS FOR
HEAD PROTECTION
(WINDOW BAGS)
(for versions/markets, where provided)
They consist of two curtain bags,
one on the right and the other on the
left side of the vehicle, located behind
the side coverings of the roof and
covered by specific finishing fig. 169.
Window bags have been designed for
protecting the head of front occupants
in the event of side impact, thanks to
the wide bag inflation surface.
IMPORTANT In the event of a side-on
crash, the system offers best protection
if you keep a correct position on the
seat because this allows the side bags
to inflate correctly.
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F1A0333
165

IMPORTANT The front airbags and/or
side bags may be deployed if the
vehicle is subject to heavy knocks or
accidents involving the underbody area,
such as for example violent shocks,
against steps, kerbs or low obstacles,
vehicle falling into big potholes or
depressions in the road.
IMPORTANT A small amount of dust
will be released when the airbags
are deployed. The dust is not harmful
and does not indicate the beginning of
a fire. Furthermore, the surface of the
deployed bag and the interior of the
vehicle may be covered in a dusty
residue: this may irritate your skin and
eyes. Wash with mild soap and water in
the event of exposure.
IMPORTANT Should an accident occur
in which any of the safety devices are
activated, take the vehicle to a Fiat
Dealership to have the activated
devices replaced and to have the whole
system checked.
Every control, repair and replacement
operation concerning the airbags must
only be carried out at a Fiat Dealership.If you are having the vehicle scrapped,
have the system deactivated at a Fiat
Dealership first. If the vehicle changes
ownership, the new owner must be
informed of how to use the airbags and
the above warnings and also be given
this "Owner Handbook".
IMPORTANT Pretensioners, front
airbags and front side bags are
deployed differently according to the
type of collision. Failure to deploy
of one of the devices does not
necessarily indicate a system
malfunction.
WARNING
112) Never rest your head, arms or
elbows on the doors, on the
windows or in the window bag
area as this could cause injuries
during the inflation phase.
113) Never lean your head, arms and
elbows out of the window.114) If when turning the key to
MAR-ON the warning light
does not turn on or if it stays
on when travelling (together with
the message on the multifunction
display, for versions/markets
where provided), there could be a
fault in the safety systems; in
this event, airbags or
pretensioners may not trigger in
the case of impact or, in a lower
number of cases, they could be
triggered accidentally. Contact a
Fiat Dealership immediately to
have the system checked.
115) Do not cover the backrest of
the front or rear seats with covers
which are not suitable for use
with side bags.
116) Do not travel carrying objects in
your lap, in front of your chest or
between your lips (pipe, pencils,
etc.). They could cause severe
injury if the airbag is deployed.
117) Always drive keeping your
hands on the steering wheel rim
so that the airbag can inflate
freely if necessary. Do not drive
with your body bent forward.
Keep your back straight against
the backrest.
166
SAFETY

118) If the key is inserted and turned
to MAR-ON, airbags may be
deployed if another vehicle
crashes into the vehicle even if
the engine is not running and the
vehicle is stationary. Therefore,
even if the car is stationary, when
an active front passenger airbag
is fitted, DO NOT install rear
facing child restraint systems on
the front passenger seat.
Deployment of the airbag
following an impact could cause
fatal injuries to the child.
Therefore, always deactivate the
passenger airbag when a rear
facing child restraint system is
installed on the front passenger
seat. The front passenger seat
must also be positioned back as
far as possible in order to prevent
the child restraint system from
coming into contact with the
dashboard. Immediately
reactivate the passenger airbag
as soon as the child restraint
system has been removed. Also
remember that, if the key is
turned to STOP, none of the
safety devices (airbags or
pretensioners) will be deployed in
the event of collision. Non-
deployment in such cases does
not indicate a system malfunction.119) If the vehicle has been subject
to theft, attempted theft,
vandalism, or flooding, have the
airbag system inspected at a Fiat
Dealership.
120) When the ignition key is turned
to MAR-ON, the LED on button
on the dashboard blinks for a
few seconds (the number of
seconds may depend on the
market) to check the correct
operation of the LED on the
button.
121) Do not wash the seats with
water or pressurised steam (by
hand or at automatic car seat
washing stations).
122) The front airbag deploys in the
event of more severe collisions
than those required for deploying
the pretensioners. For impacts
whose intensity falls between the
two levels, normally, only the
pretensioners will be activated.
123) Do not affix rigid objects to the
coat hooks or support handles.124) The airbag does not replace
seat belts but increases their
efficiency. Furthermore, since
front airbags are not deployed in
low-speed frontal impacts, side
impacts, rear shunts or roll-overs,
the passengers are protected
only by the seat belts which must
therefore be fastened at all
times.
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STARTING AND DRIVING
Let’s get to the "heart" of the vehicle:
seeing how you can exploit all of its
potential to the full.
We’ll look at how to drive it safely in any
situation, so that it can be a welcome
companion, with our comfort and
our wallets in mind.STARTING THE ENGINE .................170
PARKING ........................................172
USING THE GEARBOX ...................173
LOADING ADVICE...........................175
SAVING FUEL .................................176
TOWING TRAILERS ........................178
SNOW TYRES ................................186
SNOW CHAINS...............................187
PROLONGED VEHICLE
INACTIVITY .....................................187
169

STARTING THE
ENGINEThe vehicle is fitted with an electronic
engine lock device: if the engine fails to
start, see the paragraph “The Fiat
CODE system” in section “Know your
vehicle”.
26) 27)125)
PROCEDURE
Proceed as follows:
❒engage the handbrake;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒turn the ignition key to MAR-ON: the
warning lights
and
on the
instrument panel will turn on;
❒wait for the warning lightsand
to switch off. The hotter the
engine is, the quicker this will
happen;
❒fully press the clutch pedal without
touching the accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVV as soon
as warning light
switches off.
Waiting too long will waste the
heating work carried out by the glow
plugs.
Release the key as soon as the engine
starts.If the engine does not start at the first
attempt, return the ignition key to STOP
before repeating the starting procedure.
If, when the ignition key is at MAR-ON
the
warning light remains lit, turn
the key to STOP and then back to
MAR-ON; if the warning light remains
lit, try with the other keys provided with
the car.
IMPORTANT Go to a Fiat Dealership
immediately if warning light
stays
on constantly on the instrument panel.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition
key in MAR-ON position when the
engine is stopped.
28)
WARMING UP THE
ENGINE JUST AFTER IT
HAS STARTED
Proceed as follows:
❒drive off slowly, letting the engine turn
at medium revs. Do not accelerate
abruptly;
❒do not demand full performance at
first. Wait until the engine coolant
temperature gauge starts moving.
29) 30)
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STARTING AND DRIVING

STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition key to STOP while the
engine is idling.
31) 32)
IMPORTANT
26) It is advisable not to demand
maximum performance from
your vehicle (e.g. excessive
acceleration, long distances at
high speeds, excessively intense
braking, etc.) during the initial
period of use.
27) When the engine is off, do not
leave the ignition key turned to
MAR-ON to prevent unnecessary
electrical consumption from
draining the battery.
28) If the
warning light flashes
for about 60 seconds after
starting or during prolonged
cranking, this indicates a fault in
the glow plug preheating system.
Use the vehicle normally if the
engine starts, but contact a Fiat
Dealership as soon as possible.29) Remember that the brake servo
and power steering are not
operational until the engine has
been started, so you need to apply
much more force than usual to
the brake pedal and steering
wheel.
30) Never start the engine by
pushing, towing or driving
downhill. This could cause fuel to
flow into the catalytic converter
and damage it beyond repair.
31) A quick burst on the accelerator
before turning off the engine
serves absolutely no practical
purpose; it wastes fuel and is
especially damaging to
turbocharged engines.
32) In some cases, when the engine
switches off, the fan could
activate for max. 120 seconds.
WARNING
125) It is dangerous to run the
engine in enclosed areas. The
engine takes in oxygen and
releases carbon dioxide, carbon
monoxide and other toxic gases.
171

PARKINGProceed as follows:
❒stop the engine and engage the
handbrake;
❒engage a gear (on a slope, engage
first gear if the car is facing uphill or
reverse if it is facing downhill) and
leave the wheels steered.
If the vehicle is parked on a steep
slope, it is advisable to block the
wheels with a wedge or stone.
Do not leave the key in the ignition as
this drains the battery. Always remove
the key when you leave the car.
126)
HANDBRAKE
The handbrake lever is located to the
left of the driver's seat fig. 170. Pull the
lever upwards to engage the handbrake
and ensure that the vehicle does not
move.
IMPORTANT Make sure that the
handbrake is engaged in such a way as
to ensure the stationing of the vehicle,
especially in the case of steep slopes
and full load.
IMPORTANT If this is not the case,
contact a Fiat Dealership to have the
handbrake adjusted. If the lever travel
gets longer, contact a Fiat Dealership.
When the handbrake lever is engaged
and the ignition key is in MAR-ON
position, the instrument panel warning
light
will switch on.Proceed as follows to release the
handbrake:
❒slightly lift the lever and press release
button A;
❒keep button A pressed and lower the
lever.
The
warning light in the instrument
panel will switch off.
Press the brake pedal when carrying
out this operation to prevent the vehicle
from moving accidentally.
33)
IMPORTANT Apply the handbrake only
when the vehicle is at a standstill or
with the vehicle in motion only in the
event of a failure in the hydraulic
system. If exceptional use is made of
the handbrake with the vehicle in
motion, moderate traction is advisable
in order not to cause locking of the
rear end with consequent swerving of
the vehicle.
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STARTING AND DRIVING